Mahinda Rajapaksa visits Pakistan

Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa arrived in Pakistan Friday on a three-day state visit.

Rajapaksa was received at the Chaklala air base in Rawalpindi by Senate chairman Farooq Hamid Naek and Minister for States and Frontier Regions Shaukat Ullah, the Associated Press of Pakistan reported.

Rajapaksa is visiting Pakistan at the invitation of his counterpart Asif Ali Zardari. He will also meet Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani.

The talks would focus on political, defence, cultural, tourism, media and trade relations. A number of bilateral agreements are expected to be signed.

Pakistan is the second largest trade partner of Sri Lanka. Colombo was among the first to sign a free trade agreement with Islamabad.

Sri Lanka enjoys duty free market access on 206 products in Pakistan while Pakistan has duty free access on 102 products in Sri Lanka.

The Sri Lankan delegation includes Foreign Minister G.L. Peiris, secretary to the president Lalith Weeratunga and media advisor Bandula Jayasekara.

Rajapaksa will also visit Taxila and other Buddhist heritage sites.